But how can this adage be true in Spain when the current birth rate is declining at alarming levels? According to provisional data from INE (June 2021), the number of children born in 2020 stood at a mere 339,206, a 5.9% y-o-y decrease, continuing the trend of the past ten years, which has seen a total decline of 30%.

Despite this situation, several sectors in the Spanish market catering to children remain stable. These vary from toys and outdoor attractions to clothing and books. Examples in the clothing industry are sportswear brands such as Nike and Adidas bringing out product lines specifically designed for kids, along with the openings of Cóndor in L’illa Diagonal (Barcelona), Boboli in La Roca Village (Barcelona) and Scalper Kids at number 21 of Calle Ayala (Madrid).

This affection for kids goes well beyond fashion and toys, further offering opportunities to other sectors such as food and beverage. Restaurant chains have long marketed to children, most notably profiting from sales of kids’ meals. McDonald’s, Burger King, VIPS, Tony Roma’s and TGI Fridays are, to name but a few, some examples that heavily market to families with children.

Taking children into account is always profitable due to their regular seasonal needs. These needs include back-to-school clothing and supplies in September, and holiday presents and winter clothing during the months of November and December. Meanwhile, January and February sales provide parents the chance to get their children new clothes for the upcoming spring and summer seasons, while in summer, parents buy revision books, holiday wear, and send them to summer camps.

Of course, all this is a vast underestimation: children do have persistent wants and needs all-year round, in everything from day-care, video games, and any object from the superhero franchise they fall in love with.

One of the reasons why the market for children’s products continues with a level of stability despite the pandemic is due to the so-called “pester power”: the pressure exerted on parents by their kids, on top of the innate parental desire to provide the best for them. Older children and especially adolescents constantly feel the need to impress their peers with the latest trends in fashion and gadgets, and parents be damned if they cannot provide.

There are other uses of space like kindergartens, but these are heavily regulated by the city. However, an enterprising child-friendly businessman can expect guaranteed profits because nurseries are an unavoidable expense for parents. In recent years, there has been a rising demand for kindergartens especially in new residential zones such as Valdebebas and El Cañaveral.

Finally, there may be a whole new commercial horizon for creating a click-and-mortar experience, as kids are now online savvy and can discover their desired goods on their own, with no hovering parent. Parents then take them to the store to try them out. This may require a lot of technical work on the user experience side, as online-savvy also means online-critical, but a well-designed app or site will reap big rewards down the line for this next generation of shoppers.

There is no avoiding it: children are essential to many brands. If we attract them at an early age, they will become the next generation of brand loyalists and will be the heavy shoppers of tomorrow.

To end with another adage: the future (of shopping) belongs to the youth.